Margarita Vineyard: Rain Magnet

Here on the Central Coast, we are all celebrating a succession of rainstorms this autumn, with the hope that the recent drought could be increasingly resolved in the year ahead.

Along the way, our estate Margarita Vineyard has lived up to its reputation as a rain magnet. Indeed, there are spots on the surrounding Santa Margarita Ranch that average more than 30 inches of rain annually. Compare that to San Luis Obispo just eight miles to the south (around 19 inches) and the city of Paso Robles just 20 miles to the north (around 13 inches).

So why is Margarita Vineyard historically blessed with so much rainfall? The answer goes right to name of our winery—the “ancient peaks” of the Santa Lucia mountain range that loom over the vineyard.

As moisture-laden air blows in from the ocean and travels upward along these mountain slopes (a phenomenon called “orographic lifting”), it cools and condenses, forming clouds and generating precipitation. It is these cloudbursts that create the elevated rainfall here.

In times of drought (such as recently), the soils can become imbalanced, and the vines can become stressed, requiring a lot of viticultural vigilance. Healthy rains flush accumulated salts from the soils and restore balance, and the vines will respond accordingly. This is what is starting to happen with the recent rainstorms.

Of course, the abundance of rainfall here can occasionally cause headaches: “In October of 2009, we had 10 inches in one day,” says Doug Filipponi, our viticulturist and co-owner. “We were trying to pick Zinfandel at the time, and it really put us to the test.”

Needless to say, that’s the kind of test we will continue to welcome if it means the end of the drought!

Come try the wines that all this rain makes at our Paso Robles tasting room and cafe.